The project “ALAN SILVESTRI: A PIEDMONTEESE IN HOLLYWOOD”, conceived by the Association Valleversa PLUS and the Commune of Castell'Alfero, intends to introduce and valorize the Italian descendant, American composer and musician Alan Silvestri on the Asti territory and on the whole Piedmont country. Silvestri is tied to Castell'Alfero (AT) by his grandmother Eugenia, who was precisely born in the Commune of Asti and who migrated to the USA at the beginning of `900.

The strong, long-lasting connection with Piedmont resulted in some trip back of Silvestri’s family members to the native country - the composer himself returned in 2004.

Alan Silvestri, one of today’s most appreciated and influential exponent in Hollywood’s mainstream film music, after a fast-rising beginning during early 70‘s, confirmed his exclusive understanding of the cinematographic scoring art through an impressive filmography: the Back to the Future trilogy, Who framed Roger Rabbit?, Predator, The Abyss, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, The Mummy Returns, Lilo & Stich, Van Helsing, The Polar Express and the recent Night at the Museum are just few titles of an incredibly versatile carrier, rewarded with 2 Grammy Award and 2 Academy nomination, among several other honors.

These are only some acknowledgments obtained last year by Alan SILVESTRI:q on February the 8th 2006 he received the Grammy Award, the musical equivalent of the cinematographic Oscar, for the song “Believe”, that he composed and conducted for the film Polar Express, an animation film by Robert Zemeckis;q on August the 3rd, 2006 he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of Castell' Alfero (AT), his only decoration here, for his tie with the country of Asti; it is important to signal that on this artist’s Internet site there is a photo of Castell' Alfero taken in 2004, during his last visit to the country of Asti;q on September the 30th 2006 he received the international Prize “Piedmonteese in the World 2005/2006”, instituted by the Piedmonteese Region, for his capacity to value and honour his own Piedmonteese origins.

The initiatives will take place in Castell'Alfero (At) and Asti through an articulated mix of events and manifestations starting on February the 2nd 2007.

In summer 2007 Alan Silvestri and his family will be in Italy, hosts in Castell' Alfero for the official delivery both of his Honorary Citizenship and of the Prize Piedmonteese in the World, as the artist could not take part to the official delivery in Turin for business affairs.

Three different events was planned by the city of Castell’Alfero in order to honour Silvestri’s next coming:- a Film Festival entirely dedicated to the artist- an International Anthological Exhibition concerning the musician (reaching its second edition, after the 2006’s one)- a Philatelic Cancellation with a combined International Competition dedicated to the bestowal of his Honorary Citizenship.

We signal that both the Cinematographic Review and the Anthological Exhibition are unique, being the first entirely dedicated to Alan SILVESTRI at an international level; both would become an annual recurrent appointment.

FILM FESTIVAL: 5 movies scored by Silvestri will be presented in Castell’Alfero and Asti, between February and April 2007. For the occasion, the just restructured Communal Theatre will open for some screening, inside the Count Amico’s Castle.The Festival has been realized with the cooperation of the Cinema Politeama, that will arrange the first projection in Asti, and of the Cinema Nuovo Splendor, that will provide all the projections realized in Castell'Alfero; last screenings will take place in the restructured Communal Theatre, inside the Count Amico’s Castle.A short critical introduction, by film music journalist Giuliano Tomassacci (Colonne Sonore – Immagini tra le note), will precede each movie.

Every film projected in Castell' Alfero will be free.It is important to notice that the “cinema” comes back in Castell'Alfero after approximately 30 years, from the age in which the existing parochial Cinema was closed in order to become a handicraft laboratory.

This is the complete program of the projections:- 02-13 FEBRUARY 2007 - NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM at Politeama cinema in Asti; a premiere national projection of the last film scored by Alan Silvestri, starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson and Mickey Rooney. - 24 FEBRUARY 2007 – THE WILD - free income, 9:00 PM, at the Communal Theatre of Castell'Alfero (AT); a Walt Disney animation film, firstly projected on April 14th 2006 all over the world.- 10 MARCH 2007 - MAID IN MANHATTAN - free income, 9:00 PM at the Communal Theatre of Castell'Alfero (AT); starring Jennifer Lopez, Bob Hoskins and Ralph Fiennes; the film was firstly projected in Italy on April the 4th 2003.- 24 MARCH 2007 - NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM - free income, 9:00 PM, at the Communal Theatre of Castell'Alfero (AT); the film, directed by Shawn Levy, released in the US on December 22nd 2006 has already grossed something like 205 million dollars. - 07 APRIL 2007 - FORREST GUMP - free income, 9:00 PM, at the Communal Theatre of Castell'Alfero (AT); directed by Robert Zemeckis and awarded with 6 Oscar prizes, with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright; first Oscar nomination for Alan Silvestri.- 20 APRIL 2007 - CAST AWAY - free income, time 9:00 PM, at the Communal Theatre of Castell'Alfero (AT); directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt; Grammy Award for Silvestri’s “End Titles” music.

ANTHOLOGICAL EXHIBITION: The exhibition will be arranged inside the eighteenth-century Counts Amico's Castle of Castell'Alfero, in the splendid chambers just restored.Many objects will be exposed: more than 60 original advertising posters of films scored by Silvestri, over 60 of his films in DVD and video tapes, many musical CD and posters offered by the artist himself, specialist reviews containing articles about Alan, videos portraying the musician during his job and images of Silvestri's family.A complete biography, synopsis for every film joined with a note about the respective musical comment, provided by film music journalist Giuliano Tomassacci, will be also featured.

This year the exhibition will have a special second edition; in fact, it will be repeated on June 2007, when the composer, along with his family, will be in Castell' Alfero.

These are the timetables of opening of the anthological Exhibition that will be opened in the Castle from April the 14th up to the 1st of May 2007: from Monday to Friday from 9,30 AM to 12.00 AMSaturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9,30 AM to 12,00 AM - from 3 PM to 6 PM

PHILATELIC CANCELLATION: With the occasion of the official delivery of the Honorary Citizenship to the musician, in summer 2007, there will be a celebrative postal cancellation. In order to find out the logotype of the stamp, an International Competition will take place with the aim to collect artistic ideas and sketches; the examination will be promoted through the Internet site www.castellalfero.net and the American site dedicated to the artist. Among all the received sketches, the choice of the logo to be used for the stamp will be realized through a web survey that will collect the thematic votes on the above mentioned Internet site of Castell'Alfero.

For the arrival of Silvestri's Family in Castell’Alfero other initiatives will be organized; among them, the exhibition of the 70-pieces Felettese Philharmonic band, founded in 1920; this band is enrolled to the regional register of the Bands executing Piedmonteese popular music. The program, in course of definition, will include traditional Piedmonteese music and selected pages from Silvestri’s scores.

Several authorities, both of Piedmont Region and from the association “Piedmonteese in the World”, will take part to the ceremony of delivery of the Prizes.We signal that on www.castellalfero.net site, along with all the information about the country of Asti, there is also a wide section dedicated to the American musician, rich of documents, with the complete filmography, images and videos, in continuous updating.The cards of all the films projected during the cinematographic Review will be gradually inserted.

It is worth to be signalled that the manifestation is conceived under the pleading of the National Museum of the Cinema of Turin.